Job Training

The Somali Bantu Community Association has received a $450,000 Federal grant to support self-sufficiency and provide employment services to the Somali Bantus, as well as other refugees in the Syracuse area. Self-sufficiency is a top priority for the association, which works to assist the refugees along their path toward becoming United States citizens.

Haji Adan, Executive Director of the association, says the group’s mission is to facilitate a successful transition to American life.

Senator Charles Schumer stopped by the Ultra Dairy plant in East Syracuse Monday to promote an initiative he hopes will teach new skills needed to land advanced manufacturing jobs in Central New York. The State University of New York has applied for a $15 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to support a career training program. If approved, the funding would go to Onondaga Community College and nearly 30 other SUNY schools, in addition to local businesses like Byrne Dairy. Schumer says that jobs in mechatronics are more advanced than traditional manufacturing jobs because they require skills in engineering, mechanics and electronics. He gives an example of how it might work: